Publications

The New New Home

The New, New Home, written by Boyce Thompson, was published in late April 2014 by The Taunton Press.

The book demystifies the new-home buying process and provides guidance to potential home buyers who want to buy a new home that not only fits their lifestyle, but also has the best shot at appreciating in value. After the housing downturn of the last decade, consumers need to go into the home-buying process with their eyes wide open. Yes, interest rates are low and new homes in some markets are more affordable than they have been in recent memory. But substantial risks remain, especially as interest rates inevitably rise.

The New New Home surveys the many innovations in housing design, construction, and technology that occurred during the housing downturn with a eye toward helping buyers select the ones that work best for them. As the housing market improves, the danger is that builders may ignore some of these innovations that helped them survive the recession in favor of cosmetic changes that won’t improve the long-term value of new homes.

A new generation of high-performance homes has burst on the market that not only economize and prioritize the use of space within homes but dramatically reduce utility costs and increase durability. The problem is that buyers will need to know what to ask for in order to get these features. Chapters in The New New Home identify minimum feature levels that every buyer should insist on getting in their new home.

Kathleen Lynn, writing for the New Jersey Record, focused on the energy story within The New New Home. Buying the most energy efficient home possible makes a lot of sense for a variety of reasons. Not only can you save on your utility bills. But a history of low payments…